JUNE 2017 MUSCLE & FITNESS 63If you’ve followed our nutrition guide in Part I, then you
should be pretty lean at this point in the RHC. And if
you’re hovering close to 10% body fat, you’re in a prime
position to get that shredded look. But achieving that
polished, fitness-model physique requires an extra level
of precision and detail, which is why we had celebrity
trainerDON SALADINOoutline the five strategies he
employed to get Ryan Reynolds into superhero shape
forDeadpool.
Allow seven days to peak, and at the
end of the week your skin should
tighten up and your abs will have
more of that protruding look.
- WATER LOAD
To clean out your system, you need
to flush it with H 2 0 and then taper
your consumption to slowly, but
safely, draw the water out between
your skin and the muscle. The result
is a dry look, which showcases
the finer details of your abs. Let’s
say you start on Sunday. Begin by
drinking 11 litres of water daily
up to Wednesday. Then cut your
intake to 9 litres, and then cut it
again on Thursday to 6.5 litres. On
Friday, take in 2.8 litres, and then
have no more than 475ml of water
on Saturday. Sip it throughout the
day to keep you sane. On the day of
your event, keep water intake to a
minimum until you snap the pic.
- FIGHT THE BLOAT
“For the last week you have to cut
out all dairy, gluten and legumes,”
Saladino says. Foods like these
contain allergens, which will cause
you to bloat and retain water – not
a good move when you’re trying to
make sure your abs are popping at
the end of a week.
- GET A MASSAGE
To look good, you have to feel good,
PEAK IN A WEEK
according to Saladino. When you’re
stressed out, cortisol – a hormone
produced by the adrenal gland that
spikes in high-stress situations –
can negatively impact your blood-
sugar levels, halting your body’s
fat-burning ability. “You want to
feel relaxed throughout this final
week,” says Saladino, who suggests
meditation, sleeping seven to nine
hours and getting a sports massage
to improve circulation, put you
in a good mood and keep your
hormones in check.4) TIME YOUR CARBS
“Save your carbs for after your
workout and before bed,” says
Saladino. “Stick with vegies and
lean protein in the morning so
your blood sugar doesn’t spike,
which stops your body from using
fat for fuel.” Consume the bulk of
your carbs after your workout so
those carbs are put to use, and then
another 20 to 30 grams at night for
a better quality night’s rest.5) CUT THE FAT
“A lot of people are talking about
high-fat diets nowadays, which
are fine. But if you want to get
extra lean, extra fat isn’t going to
help,” says Saladino. Fat packs nine
calories per gram, so eat only grilled
chicken and white fish as your fat
sources during this week.2017 ROCK HARD CHALLENGE PA RT I I